Overview
- On Tuesday, CPUT announced it had closed all campuses, suspended academic activity and told students to vacate university residences by 16:00 on Wednesday 19 August.
- Fire officials responded to an arson attack at the Old Education building on the Bellville campus, and university statements say no one was injured despite fires and other property damage during protests.
- The unrest stems from student opposition to a draft 2027 financial recovery plan that proposed upfront payments, including a possible R7,000 registration fee, and the removal of Acknowledgement of Debt registration options.
- Hundreds of students marched to Parliament to submit a 20‑page memorandum demanding intervention and an independent probe, and student leaders plus at least one MP have criticised the evacuation as harsh and signalled plans to resist the order.
- CPUT has reported about R4.2‑billion in student debt and roughly 16,200 withheld certificates, a background factor driving the university’s recovery proposals and prompting calls for parliamentary oversight and an independent investigation.